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Pilate therefore said to him, "Aren`t you speaking to me? Don`t you know that I have power to release you, and have power to crucify you?"
Verse Takeaways
1
The Illusion of Power
Commentators highlight the deep irony in Pilate's boast. While he claims absolute authority over life and death, scholars describe him as weak, vacillating, and cowardly. His arrogant outburst is seen as a reaction to his wounded pride and fear, a hollow assertion from a man who knows Jesus is innocent but is too politically hampered and indecisive to act justly.
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John
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10
18th Century
Presbyterian
Speakest thou not? etc. This is the expression of a man of pride. He was not accustomed to be met with silence like this. He endeavored, t…
Unto me (εμο). Emphatic position for this dative. It amounted to contempt of court with all of Pilate's real "authority" (εξουσια)…
19th Century
Anglican
Speakest thou not unto me?—The position of the pronoun in the original is strongly emphatic—“To me do You not sp…
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Baptist
And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakes…
Jesus’ refusal to answer him angered Pilate, whose conceit and arrogance were shown by his question: “Don’t you realize I have power either to free…
16th Century
Protestant
Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee? This shows that the dread that had suddenly seized Pilate was transitory and had no so…
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17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Then says Pilate to him Being angry with him, resenting his silence, and looking upon it as a contempt of him;
Little did Pilate think with what holy regard these sufferings of Christ would, in later ages, be considered and spoken of by the best and greatest…
13th Century
Catholic
Now the Evangelist discusses the crucifixion of Christ:
First, the crucifixion itself.
Second, the death of Christ: aft…
